An actual proper map

[CrayFray]

Title. I am now 2 playthroughs deep in, once as a solo goer and with 6 people. This game is awesome but desperately needs a proper map. The Cascade Research facility is dense and complex with so many rooms once you reach Labs. Remembering where to go for portal resources becomes unneccesarily difficult.

If no proper map is planned, please give us options at least to craft waypoints (like the crafting bench is shown on our HUD) or some other form where we can document points of interest, alongside being able to show where we need to go for it.

[ULTRA]

Yeah, I appreciate the Thiefness of having a static map and map reading as a skill, but it does seem like these guys who have electronic instruments to target the exact confines of your body to teleport it elsewhere would have the ability to make an annotated electronic map a la System Shock

Even Valheim has the cartography table which has a similar purpose (sharing annotated maps between players)

[Necroscourge]

Map is still in flux, that's why. The game world itself is not in it's final state ergo they would have to fix the 3d map every time they changed an area. There will probably be a real/better map on release

[CombatWombat]

I love that feature. But my sens of orientation is pretty good. I love learning the map and finding my way around, A more detailed map would take much away from that.

Maybe being able to set waypoints would be a middle ground.

[ULTRA]

Also maybe just a compass if they're going to have static maps

[CrayFray]

Originally posted by Necroscourge:

Map is still in flux, that's why. The game world itself is not in it's final state ergo they would have to fix the 3d map every time they changed an area. There will probably be a real/better map on release

Makes sense. If the devs plan to include navigation mechanics/maps and mentioned it somewhere, I sadly missed it.

[The Vagrant Knight]

Personally think it's fine as it is. I had no real trouble traversing any of the locations except for cascade labs (mostly because of the chaos and seriously dangerous enemies there that made it hard to focus on layout).

I always like it when a game takes a bit more of an old school approach to maps. If they do decide to add a more interactive map, it would be nice to have it as an option and not replace the current static maps.

[Jartym]

I actually think getting a bit lost from time to time is part of the gameplay and adds tension, especially with your needs on timers. Especially since a few parts are mazelike by design.

[MechWarden]

There is figuring out where to go without having your hand held, but currently the map kinda sucks. I helps a bit when figuring out general directions of things, but most signs on the wall help with that and just knowing the place helps even more.

I'm fine with it not showing where you are, but I'd like more details. An example I used elsewhere is that it's like using an overall college campus map to navigate through the buildings, when a building map would have been handy for finding that specific class room.

Right now, the landmarks are hard to pick out, making the map hard to use, on top of being 2 menus deep just to use. Pressing M (or whatever) should open up the reliant map for your area.

[Bluealpha]

I looked at the map maybe a dozen times before I decided it was useless and just tried to internalize the map layout instead. I'd like something akin to Project Zomboid's map but more automatic, with your character sketching out major landmarks or POIs as they find them, plus whatever you want to draw on there as well.

[Ramirez]

My honest opinion on this, I kinda prefer not having a map. But if they were to add one, it should be some sort of PDA that you have to carry that takes up one of your hotbars to use. It would make sense that way to use as a map. You could go around to the map stations downloading the map to your PDAs.

[Anker]

Originally posted by Jartym:

I actually think getting a bit lost from time to time is part of the gameplay and adds tension, especially with your needs on timers. Especially since a few parts are mazelike by design.

Yeah, but that only works a few times before you memorize the layout. It's not something that can, or should, continue indefinitely.

[The Vagrant Knight]

Originally posted by Anker:

Yeah, but that only works a few times before you memorize the layout. It's not something that can, or should, continue indefinitely.

I think the point is more for when you visit an area for the first couple of times. Once you memorized it you won't need a map at all. Adding a fully interactive map the way you see in most games completely removes that sense of being lost as, even if it only shows the places you've already been, you can always at least back paddle.

If it shows the whole map from the start or in downloadable collectibles, it kinda hampers the sense of exploration imo. You'd spend more time looking at the map instead of recognizing and paying attention to the environment. I for one enjoyed playing the game fully immersed instead of pressing "m" every 5 minutes.

I can get behind them adding an interactive map for accessibility sake, but I genuinely hope they won't get rid of the static map experience.

[MechWarden]

With how it is implemented, It doesn't feel like the maps are meant to be a temporary thing. If that was the case, it should just be a picture on the wall and be left at that.

If exploring and navigation is a goal, the map should have functions to help with that. Heck, maps in some games weren't that detailed, but still remained useful for navigating and finding secret areas.

[otakon17]

Originally posted by ULTRA:

Also maybe just a compass if they're going to have static maps

At the very least a compass would be nice. Can use it when we look at our Wristwatch.

[NekoiNemo]

Originally posted by ULTRA:

Yeah, I appreciate the Thiefness of having a static map and map reading as a skill, but it does seem like these guys who have electronic instruments to target the exact confines of your body to teleport it elsewhere would have the ability to make an annotated electronic map a la System Shock

Even Valheim has the cartography table which has a similar purpose (sharing annotated maps between players)

Counterpoint: the Gate facility is player's workplace, not some untamed wilderness. People generally don't make maps of the place they work at - they just familiarise themselves with the environment. I think that's the reason they went with map pamphlets and "you're here" signs instead of adding the full interactive map.

And besides, the only places that are hard to navigate are the Mines and Adjustment Wing labs, and former is definitely intentional, and so may be the latter